Umbra of the Shadow
by CAHunter
Summary: Join a pony from a exiled herd as she explores the darker side of Equestria's past. Find out what awaits her in it's depth.
1. Umbra of the Shadow-Prologue

Long ago, there was a herd of ponies named "Shadow" ponies. They worked for Luna in the background, never given credit in the public. Most of the herd were comprised of earth ponies. Rarely there were unicorns within the bloodline, but there were no pegasi. Pegasi and ponies of their herd never crossed paths at night.

The Shadow ponies were only seen when it was dark outside. That's when their dark coats blended into the shadows of the night. It allowed them to carry out their quests silently and unseen by others.

It was shortly after Luna's banishment that they were exposed. The other ponies feared they might rise up against them in rebellion. The fact that they arose during the night only added to their fears.

"Order! Order! We are here to discuss what is to be done about these "Shadow" ponies" said the head of the council. The crowd began speaking their fears and suggestions on what to do.  
"We should strike before they do! It's that simple."  
"Yes, before they destroy our villages. They will surely rise against us. Celestia has taken away their deity. Everyday we prolong taking action is another day they have to plot."  
"Not to mention that one pony. He has took away souls from ponies. They probably hired him."  
"They apparently sleep during the day. It would be a easy task to get rid of them then."

Celestia came through the doors of the town hall. The council murmured amongst one another as she walked down the aisle. She began to speak to them.

"We should not hold all responsible for the sins of one pony. I believe that they will not cause any trouble. And no, there is no connection between that rogue pony and the Shadow guards. He was captured and dealt with accordingly."

The head of the council stood up.  
"If we cannot kill them, then may I suggest we simply exile them? I know they could not survive on the moon like your sister, but how about just out of Equestria? Just far enough to make sure they cannot affect us here."

Whispers filled the room from other ponies in the audience.  
_"That sounds better than letting them stay here."_  
_"Heh, I'll make sure they don't do anything if she lets them stay here."_  
_"Right. I won't be able to sleep at night if I know they roam the streets. Who would be awake to stop them from doing anything? Something would have to be done. They have no other purpose now."_

Celestia protested, but the cries from the other ponies for them to exile the Shadow ponies was powerful. She saw that if she did not do something, the others may take action into their own hoofs. Having just banished her sister, she did not want any bloodshed. With a heavy heart, she signed a declaration of exile for those who served in her sister's royal guard. And with that, any and all ponies that served Luna was removed from Equestria.


	2. Umbra of the Shadow-Ghostville

It was a bright and sunny day in Equestria. She hated that. She did not know why, but something was calling her to this place. All she thought about was how she hated Equestria, and yet it called to her. But her hate was justified.

Her mother always said they would return one day, since Luna had returned to the good and welcomed back. But Umbra's heart was cold towards this idea, and she did not care to go back there. All she cared about was her herd and their well-being.

Her mother was the matriarch of the herd but she had suddenly vanished one day, without a trace. And her father had passed when she was just a filly. Umbra stepped up and took control of the herd in her place.

The region that had been settled was mountainous: the land barren, and food scarce from the constant years of just every day surviving. Disconnected from civilization, assistance was beyond them. Seeing this, Umbra decided it was time to put her pride aside. Equestria had been calling to her but it was the dire need to save her herd that forced her to go.

* * *

X

* * *

"You sure about this? We'll be okay while you're gone but I thought you hated that place?" said another dark pony walking with Umbra. The two ponies were walking down from the mountain as Umbra began her journey. Umbra stopped and sighed.

"I don't like seeing foals lose their lives due to the poor condition of their parents. They can barely feed them and they lack the bits to buy medicine that can cure the simple diseases. None of the neighboring lands are willing to help us either. We've been in exile long enough. If I don't go, our small herd may be no more. I have to put my pride aside and hope this Celestia will allow us to come back. Her sister has returned and they say things are not like they use to be. I can only hope this is true."

Her closest friend, Crescelia, was seeing Umbra off. Umbra left her in charge in her absence as she went to Equestria to get help. Crescelia stopped at the entrance that lead up the mountain. She waved goodbye as Umbra vanished in the distance.

* * *

X

* * *

She left in the middle of the night and had made it to the Everfree forest by sunrise. She just headed the direction she thought it was. The map she had studied was a bit outdated, by a thousand years or more, so she didn't bother carrying it. She checked the signs that was on paths once she had entered Equestria's border.

Her herd could see in the dark as if it were day, so she did not fear what most ponies did at night. She was a earth pony, and the fastest of her herd. The forest was dark and remained damp even when the sun had rose.

Stepping out of the Everfree forest, she squinted as the light of the noon's sun pierced her red eyes. Her gold bans reflected brightly in the sun. Her silver mane glistened with morning dew that had collected from running through the forest. But something bothered her, even more than the light of day. Silence...

There was no earth ponies or unicorns heard trotting. The sky was clear, and yet there was no pegasi in sight. It seemed odd to her that no pony was around. She continued until she reached Ponyville.

Doors and windows were open, as she trotted through town, studying each building. The grass was untrimmed and flowers were wilting. It was like a ghost town.

She stopped and stared at a home that looked like a ginger bread house. She thought about tasting it, but decided against it in case anyone was around. She was sure the owner would not like that, even if they were not there.

She passed a tree, or what seemed like one. She opened a door on it and there was books lined up all around the room. It seemed to be hallowed out inside, but it was alive. No one was there, or anywhere at this point.

She explored the town seeking answers. She saw a funny looking building in the shape of a tent. She could see a large red barn off in the distance. She impatiently trotted through the town looking for any sign of recent life.

_"Where is everypony?"_she thought to herself. Could it be they saw her coming and ran? They must have thought she came to reap vengeance of some sort. She snorted angrily as her hoof steps became heavy at this thought.

_"Even now, they have not accepted we are not a hostile herd."_She stomped the ground and kept going. There was nothing here for her it seemed. She could see her next destination in the distance though. A castle on the side of a mountain. She picked her pace up and headed towards it.

It took a few minutes, but now she stood at the route leading up to the castle. There were train tracks, but the dust suggested that none ran as of late. She lifted her hoof over the track but stopped.

Before she could take a step on the road leading to the castle, she heard feathery flaps of wings. Two large pegasi had descended from the sky and now stood before her. They were two large pegasi colts.

"Halt! Identify yourself!" they said in unison, blocking her way with their wings. They were adorned with golden helmets and chest plates. She had surmised them to be royal knights of the Princess. She was not intimidated by them. She wasn't as tall, but she was a decent height and a good, strong build from living in the mountains. The black mare glared at the two brown pegasi before answering.  
"I am Umbra of the Shadows"


	3. Umbra of the Shadow-Road to Canterlot

"Umbra of the Shadows?" repeated one of the pegasi with a confused look. Of course they would not know. It was before their time. They whispered back and forth trying to decide what to do. She stomped her hoof, drawing their attention to her.

"Listen, I don't have time for you to decide what to do. But, if you're going to stand in my way, I'll have to take you down. So, what do you say?"

They stared at her for a little bit, wings stretched, and hoofs firm upon the path. She was getting more annoyed with each second that passed. But they finally lowered their wings as one started to speak.

"You may proceed, but we will be following you. If you so much as twitch the wrong way, we will be forced to take YOU down. Got that Miss Umbra?" as they stepped aside. She started walking pass them, watching as their eyes followed her. They ascended into the sky, keeping her in their view. She could hear their wings flapping, but she decided to ignore them as she pressed forward.

* * *

**X**

* * *

It was about a hour before she reached the gates. They were enormous, encrusted with gold, and looked to be a very solid type of steel. She saw the pegasus guards light down and started speaking to, what she guessed, would be the gatekeepers. The doors made a rather loud thump sound and then began to slowly open.

She finally saw other ponies. Most seemed to be unicorns but there were some earth ponies. The buildings were a lot different than the buildings she observed in Ponyville. They were quite regal and seemed to be made of bricks, rather than wood and straw like the ones in Ponyville. But she sighed as she looked up the path. Stairs as far as she could see, leading up to the castle. One of the guards landed beside her.

"It's quite a sight, huh?" folding his wings.  
"So, after walking ALL the way here on a dirt road, I have to climb all those stairs just to reach the castle? Too bad the train was closed down..." as she sat down to rest a moment.  
"The train tracks have been blocked off. There have been creatures that come out at night, which is why all ponies have moved to Canterlot" the guard responded.  
"What creatures?" she asked looking up at the guard.

"It was ordered by Celestia to evacuate everyone to Canterlot. I, myself, do not know what the creatures do, but they were rather wicked looking from the sky as we flew over them. They seem quite fast but none had the ability to fly from what we could see."

She started walking up the stairs. It was obvious to her that she had to see Celestia to get any real information or help for her herd. The guards only did what she told them. _"Mindless drones" _she thought to herself.

She stared at the castle doors. As big as the gates and encrusted with even more gems and gold. The pegasus pushed one of the doors open with his head and let her in. She walked in and within no time was stopped by a unicorn.

"Who are you?" the unicorn asked.  
"I am Umbra of the Shadow ponies" she responded. The unicorn seemed confused. It was apparent that not many, if any besides Celestia or Luna, knew about her herd. A book floated up to the unicorns face and pages flew open. She was looking for her name, Umbra guessed.

"You will not find my name in there" Umbra stated. The unicorn looked up from the book as it closed and floated to a table nearby. This seemed to confuse her more.

"Then why are you here? You must have an appointment to see Celestia."  
"I need some assistance to hopefully end a old law" Umbra responded. The unicorn rubbed her forehead in confusion. Hoof steps came from the ivory stairs that wrapped around the main hall. A tall white alicorn came down to the center of the stairs. The unicorn bowed, so Umbra figured this must be the princess.

"My knights have informed that a strange pony has come to see me" the alicorn stated looking down at Umbra. Umbra only watched as she came down the last flight of stares and stood before her. Her mane waved despite there being no wind. Umbra did a low snort and thought about leaving but she remembered why she was here.

"Celestia" she started but was cut off by the unicorn.  
"You must address her as Princess Celestia!" the unicorn snapped.  
"I'm not talking to you!" Umbra barked back.  
"Please, decease this chatter. Let her speak" Celestia said in a calm matter.  
Umbra snorted at the unicorn and started speaking again.

"Yes. To the point. I am Umbra and I've came for help for my herd. They are in dire need of food as the mountains we had settled in is almost depleted of resources to sustain us. I fear my herd may starve. We need food or maybe the banishment removed so my herd can come here and get the necessary tools so we may grow our own. We can pay you back once we get back on our hooves."

"As much as I would love to help your herd, there's much turmoil in the kingdom and I have to have all my knight's and any able-bodied pony on guard. There are creatures that have appeared from the Everfree forest and ponie's have vanished. I believe that Discord may have been unleashed again as he has vanished from where we had him sealed in his statue state. The six heroes of Equestria were sent to what is my sister's and I's old castle. I believe the creatures came from a labyrinth that is under the castle. But it's been a week since they went and they have not returned..." Celestia stopped with worry upon her face.

Umbra didn't see anything when she had came through the forest but she had no reason to doubt it since the village she passed through was clearly vacant. She doubt that they would move what was left of the ponies for no reason. Something had happened.

"But I cannot return to my herd empty handed..." Umbra responded.  
"Even if I did lift the banishment, they may be abducted by the beasts too. I'm sure that would not help your herd at all" as she stared at Umbra. Umbra's head hung low as she tried to think of something to say. A voice echoed down a hallway to the left.

"Is that mah sister Princess Celestia? Has she came back?" said a filly. She was yellow with a bright red mane and tail. She ran up to Celestia but her ears flopped in disappointment. She had got her answer as she looked at Umbra.

"Never seen a pony like you before. Are ya here to save my sister?" the filly asked. Umbra wasn't sure how to respond as she stared into the hopeful eyes of the little filly. But that was actually a great idea. Umbra figured if she did stop the creatures, then her herd could enter safely. At this point, she had nothing to lose.

"What if I went and investigate? Then my herd could come here and your citizens could return to Ponyville. It would help us both out, don't you agree?."

"Those creatures have taken many earth ponies with ease. Do you think you would fare better? I do not need more on my mind to worry about. I don't even know what happened to my heroes..." Celestia's stress was heard in her voice. Umbra pushed it aside.

"I'll go and see what happened to them at least? I'm not a uppity pony. I have worked as hard as any pony out there or here. I'll be fine" Umbra assured.


	4. Umbra of the Shadow-Dark Descent

Umbra was now on the outskirts of the Everfree forest. It was getting dark, and she still had to go through the forest before she could even get to the old castle. She was given a pack with a map, and a few other items that Celestia had given her. She opened the pack, pulled out the map, spread it open, sat down, and studied it.

_"Hmmm... So, through the forest, up this cliff side, over this bridge, and then I should arrive at the old castle ruins... Sounds simple enough..." _she thought to herself. She put the map back into the pack and rose to her hoofs.

The forest was eerily silent. She could see the fading sun through the few holes of the canopy above. There was flowers she had never seen before, which she avoided since she did not know if they were poisonous or not. She started to climb up the mountain but stopped at where the path seemed to have crumbled away. She searched the sides and seen some steps that descended to the valley below. Living in the mountains, it was simple jumps for her to the bottom. She pulled the map out again and studied it for a new path.

"Guess I'll have to go through this bog here, then cross this river to get back up to where I was on the other side. Always something to impede me it seems" she said to herself as she folded the map back up and packed it away. The ground began to soften. She was getting close to the swamp she guessed.

Loud "splosh" sounds came from under her hoofs as she trekked through the mud. The trees looked so distorted in the bog. But that's not what bothered her. She could see very clearly that they were nothing more than trees. She felt as if she was being watched.

"Jqu oj ijigc kqu becop av kqu Zewxuguz Ebiyuk. Fu ewu kwemmuz ogjozu... Jqu pagkwayj ij..." a unfamiliar language ranged through the trees. It sounded like it was coming from everywhere and all at once. She could see shapes pass between the trees. They were too fast and many in numbers. She figured they were either the ones doing this or the creatures that she was told about. They didn't approach her though. They stayed within her sight but never within her range of attack.

She chased after a couple but they scattered. They must not have been at full power since the sun was still over the horizon, fixing to fade behind the mountains. The bog was dark enough that they could hide in it even in the day if they wanted. She decided to continue to the castle. She was almost out of there anyhow, as she could hear the running water of the river.

It was not that big of a river as she thought it would be. She saw a trail of boulders leading across it. She jumped across to each one easily. She stared back to see if those creatures were following, but it seemed they were gone. She continued on the trail to the ruins of the celestial sisters castle.

She arrived at the bridge over a ravine. She gazed over the edge. It was a steep drop and the bridge looked less than sturdy. Moss covered and older looking than time itself. She placed her hoof on the first board. It creaked as it swayed back and forth. It made her uneasy but she pressed on. She expected to crash through eventually, but she made it to the other side. She was surprised it held her weight.

She entered the ruins. See could see hoof prints on the ground. It was dark now, but she seen no sign of the creatures or the other ponies. They must have left, or maybe Celestia's heroes had defeated Discord or whatever had been causing trouble.

But she heard no one. It was just silent and darkness. She continued through until she reached the room Celestia had told her about. She walked up a couple of stairs, and pressed her hoof against the back of a throne. It made a large thump sound and moved away, revealing a secret entrance.

It was dark. Her eyes craved the darkness at this point. It felt good to feel the light disappear into the void. She took a step down and heard the door shut behind her. It must have been setup to close in case of an emergency or attack upon the sisters. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the familiar darkness. She made her way down the stairs, not sure what she was going to find.


	5. Umbra of the Shadow-Generosity

It felt like hours before she finally reached the bottom of the staircase. But Celestia said that time ran differently down here. A few minutes inside could be a few hours on the outside, thanks to an enchantment on it.

They often used this as a bunker of sorts during the old wars. It was fixed to speed through the harsh winters or as a safe haven for ponies to recover quickly. She had asked Celestia for a map of the labyrinth, but what little there was were lost during the move or destroyed during Discord's first reign of chaos.

She surveyed the area around here. It was dark, wet, and had a rather foul stench in the air. It had not been used or cleaned in awhile from what she could tell. The stone tile was smooth in some spots while jagged in others. She found a hallway and headed down but she could hear those voices again.

"Zai foyy gufuw jiwtotu..." echoed through the corridors of the labyrinth. She couldn't see anything near her and wondered why they would not attack her. She walked down the hallways, trying to find a hint of where she was suppose to go, since she had no bearings or map to aid her.

She entered a large room. It had rusted bed frames and satin sheets that were embedded with small gems. Pillows were tossed here and there as she walked through. Winding staircases surrounded the room and met in the center at the bottom. She guessed there must be more beds on the upper levels too. Suddenly, her ear twitched. She stopped and heard a noise coming from above.

A large boulder rapidly descended to the ground as Umbra jumped away, barely avoiding being crushed by it. She looked at the high ceiling above her and the stairs that circled around the room. It grew silent again, but she knew a rock that large does not move by itself.

"Come out! I know you're there!" Umbra said. A shallow laugh filled the room.  
"What dear? Did you not like my gift? What a shame! Have another!" the voice echoed like there was more than one entity as each word left it's mouth.

A boulder went flying down towards Umbra and she side stepped, barely avoiding it. Another boulder came down, but it was not as big as the other two. Umbra took her back hoofs and kicked it; shattering it into tiny pieces. She began to run up the staircase that lead to the upper level. Seemed whoever it was had ran out of boulders and had started to pelt her with small gems from the sheets. The gems slowed to a complete stop as she neared the top floor.

She reached the top, and to her surprise, it was setup like a designer lived there. Dresses draped across racks, hats hung on hooks, and other accessories arranged here and there. She walked slowly, trying to find whatever did all of that. She heard some rustling, and then hoof steps.

"Darling, you look simply horrible! We'll have to fix that..." a pony said approaching her. Umbra shuddered. It was the white unicorn that Celestia had described, but her eyes were dark and soulless. She was covered in bruises and cuts that had blood running down her body. Her curled mane had split ends and dirt all through it.

She slowly stepped towards Umbra. Her horn began to glow and dresses began to move. Umbra avoided a couple that were thrown towards her. One wrapped around her back leg, pulling her back to the wall.

"Hold still and let the master seamstress fix you!" as the unicorn began to wrap more clothes around her other hoofs with her magic. Umbra squirmed and broke the old clothes. Age did not treat them well and they shreaded easily. Umbra lowered her head and charged the unicorn, plowing her into the wall. She stepped back and looked at the unicorn as she held herself in pain.

There was something around her neck with barbs that sunk into the skin, piercing it, causing blood to rush out. Umbra stepped on it, trying to break it from the unicorn's neck. The unicorn hissed and rose to her hoofs, with her horn glowing. More clothes flew towards Umbra, but they ripped apart easily as Umbra charged through them. The unicorn ran but Umbra caught up to her easily, plowing her into the wall once again.

The object around her neck made a snapping sound and fell to the ground. It transformed into a gold necklace with a big blue diamond in the middle, same shape as the unicorn's cutie mark. The unicorn's eyes began to show a royal blue hue to the iris. The unicorn tried to stand up but fell back down. Umbra took her head and helped her up. The unicorn shook, exhausted from the battle.

"Appl...lll...ee...ja...ckkk... Is... is that you?" the unicorn asked. Her voice seemed to be normal now, without the echoing sound that emitted before.  
"No. What's your name? Are you back to normal?" Umbra asked as the unicorn began to get her hoofs steady.  
"I am Rarity. Who...who are you?" as Rarity's horn began to glow. The light from Rarity's horn trailed up Umbra until it hit her eyes, making them dilate. All Rarity saw was large red eyes staring at her.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Devil pony!" she screamed as she ran blindly, hitting the wall.  
"I don't have time for this!" Umbra said in frustration. She picked Rarity back up to her hoofs.  
"Whhhhaa... What do you want?" Rarity asked shaking.  
"Where are the others? There's suppose to be six of you, right? I've come to rescue all of you and help fight whatever is doing this" Umbra replied.

Rarity looked down, and then put her hoof on her head.  
"I.. I can't remember. All I can remember is when we entered and then the rest is a blur. I... I don't know where they are..." she said worriedly. Umbra dug through the pack, pulled out a stone, and gave it to Rarity.

"Okay. You're in bad shape and carrying you around won't help me. Take this stone and hold between your hoofs. It should warp you back to Canterlot. That's what Celestia said anyhow" Umbra said half-heartedly believing it.

"What about my friends? They need me and I can't just" Umbra cut in before she could finish.  
"Listen, a injured pony is the last thing I need when fighting these things. Now just do as I say. I'll be fine and so will your friends." Rarity began to tear up. Umbra couldn't tell if the pain had sunk in, if it was just her concern for her friends, or the abysmal situation they were in that caused it.

"I wish I had something to give you, but it seems my pack is gone... Maybe you can find it and use whatever you need from it. It would be the least I could do to thank you..." Rarity held the stone closely and with a burst of light, she was gone.

"One down I guess. Five more to go. Ugh, I hate unicorn magic, and I still have one to deal with..." she said to herself as she closed the pack. She stopped and looked at the necklace that had dropped. She thought it may be important, so she picked it up and put it away in the pack. She began her descent back to the bottom floor.


End file.
